Executive Committee
TOS President
Marc-Andre Cornier, MD, FTOS
Dr. Cornier is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at the Medical University of South Carolina. He recently transitioned from the University of Colorado where he was on faculty since 2001. He served as the Medical Director of Anschutz Health and Wellness Center clinic in Colorado where he oversaw a large multidisciplinary weight loss practice offering a range of weight loss programs. Dr. Cornier is currently working on growing the weight loss services at MUSC. He actively sees patients, primarily managing individuals with cardiometabolic disorders such as diabetes, lipids disorders and obesity.
He has been funded by the NIH, ADA and VA continuously for over 18 years to study the complex regulation of food intake and body weight and metabolism using a range of tools including brain imaging. Dr. Cornier also highly values his time spent as an educator and mentor.
TOS President-Elect
Jacqueline M. Stephens, PhD, FTOS
Dr. Stephens is the Claude B. Pennington, Jr. Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center where she has an active research lab in Adipocyte Biology. She is a Professor in Biological Sciences and teaches an Endocrinology course at Louisiana State University every year. She has a strong commitment to service and mentoring of students and junior faculty.
Dr. Stephens earned a PhD in Biochemistry from East Carolina University School of Medicine. She is committed to enhancing the understanding of obesity with rigor and transparency. Dr. Stephens advocates for reducing weight stigma and promotes the benefits of exercise and healthy living practices.
TOS Vice President
Jonathan Purnell, MD, FTOS
Dr. Purnell is Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon with board-certification in both Endocrinology and Obesity Medicine. He is also Professor of the Knight Cardiovascular Institute at OHSU. Over the past 20+ years, Dr. Purnell has continued to practice obesity medicine in the context of preventive cardiology clinics and integrating these therapies to optimize patient health.
His work involves translational research in obesity and its consequences, including understanding the mechanisms underlying metabolic-bariatric surgery efficacy and health benefits.
Dr. Purnell recently served as Co-Chair of The Obesity Society’s Education Committee. The committee was focused on the development of an obesity curriculum in medical schools. A new “Foundations” course was created and aimed at primary care providers just beginning to incorporate obesity medicine into their practices, and taking the lead on the Obesity Medicine board review course.
TOS Immediate Past President
Jamy Ard, MD, FTOS
Dr. Ard is professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention in the Division of Public Health Sciences, co-director of the Weight Management Center and medical director of medical weight management at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC.
In October 2021, Ard was elected as a member to the National Academy of Medicine. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
Ard conducts research in clinical strategies to treat obesity and associated risk-factor modification. He also focuses on health disparities and ways to better engage African Americans in effective obesity treatment and research programs. Ard is a graduate of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, where he earned his medical degree. He also holds a bachelor’s of science degree in biology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.
TOS Secretary/Treasurer
Diana Thomas, PhD, FTOS
Dr. Thomas is currently a professor of discipline at the United States Military Academy at West Point. She holds joint research appointments at the Columbia University New York Obesity Research Center and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and serves on the Editorial Boards for the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, PLOS ONE, and Nutrition & Diabetes.
Mathematical modeling aggregates scientific knowledge to describe a cohesive and logical story. As a result, her modeling research has brought together collaborations across many diverse areas such as human body weight regulation, identification of risk for poor pregnancy outcomes, forecasts of obesity prevalence, prediction of changes in body composition and body fat deposition, description of eating rates, prediction of the impact of diabetes regulating medications, and classification human body geometry
Dr. Thomas holds a PhD in Mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Governing Board
William Troy Donahoo, MD, FTOS
University of Florida
Governing Board: Clinical Practice
2024-2026
Emma Adriana Chávez Manzanera, MD
Instituto Nacional De Ciencias Medicas Y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran
Governing Board: At-Large-Mexico
2024-2026
Blandine Laferrère, MD, PhD
Columbia University
Governing Board: At-Large
2024-2026
Beverly Tchang, MD
Cornell University
Governing Board: At-Large
2025-2027
Adam Gilden, MD, FTOS
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Governing Board: Advocacy/Public Affairs/Regulatory
2025-2027
Susanne Votruba, PhD, FTOS
National Institutes of Health – NIDDK
Governing Board: At-Large
2025-2027
Michelle Cardel, PhD, FTOS
WW International Inc. and University of Florida
Governing Board: Population/Epidemiology
/Community
2023-2025
Emily Noble, PhD, FTOS
University of Georgia
Governing Board: Basic/Experimental/Preclinical
2025-2027
Ania Jastreboff, MD, PhD
Yale University
Governing Board: Clinical Research
2023-2025
Geoff Ball, PhD, FTOS
University of Alberta, CAN
Governing Board: At-Large-Canada
2025-2027